1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to pull chain actuating switches and more particularly, to a lit pull chain assembly used to provide sufficient light to enable a person to locate a pull chain switch in a dark room.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fumbling through a dark room trying to locate a light switch to turn on a light in the room can be disconcerting and even dangerous, if a person should trip or stumble over something in the room. Having a source of light already on in a dark room that helps guide a person safely to a light switch in the room is clearly advantageous. Pull chain switches are commonly used switches, however, the pull chains are not easy to locate in the dark. Typically, a person is forced to feel around in the dark hoping to locate the pull chain switch.
Ceiling fans employ pull chain electric switches to start or stop the fan and many ceiling fans come with centrally disposed lights that also utilize pull chain switches to turn the lights on or off. Because the pull chain switches are located on the ceiling fan unit itself, a person must enter an unlit room and awkwardly feel around in the dark hoping to locate the ceiling fan's pull chain switch. This is a potentially hazardous situation because a person could easily trip or stumble across unseen objects in the dark room, causing serious bodily injury.
Both pull chain electric switches and ceiling fans with ancillary lights are well known in the prior art, for example, an electric switch actuating mechanism that employs a pull chain is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,014,217, issued on Sep. 10, 1935 to W. Williamson, whereby a flexible pull chain is connected to a disk that imparts an even pull to the pull chain when the pull chain is used to turn a lamp on or off. U.S. Des. Pat. No. 375,244, issued on Nov. 5, 1996 to D. Merino, describes an ornamental design for a pull chain device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,341, issued on Dec. 10, 1991 to M. Huang, describes a lamp assembly suspended from a ceiling fan. The lamp assembly is equipped with several reflection lamp shields which do not affect the illuminating effect of the lamp assembly when they are turned upward.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.